Seeking comments on Parker Sonnet

[Stylo]

I am interested in one solely for the Ciselé pattern , for reasons of nostalgia. The Ciselé comes with the 18K nib, in either fine or medium.

 

But I would like to know what kind of a writer it is and I need help to select nib size. How does a medium or fine 18K Sonnet compares say with a medium Pelikan M200, a medium Waterman Expert II, or a medium Taccia Imperial Portuguese? Is it generally wet, stiff as a nail, etc.?

 

http://www.worldlux.com/products/parker/_pens/sonnetcisele/fullsize3.jpg

 

http://www.worldlux.com/products/parker/_pens/sonnetcisele/fullsize2.jpg

[Sonnet]

My Sonnet is a steel medium nib so obviously, it's not quite as flexible as my Pelikan M200. But it's one of my favorite pens, nonetheless. Everything from the size to the way it writes (somewhat wet) shows it's earned the "writer's pen" nickname, in my opinion.

[Stylo]

Any comments on fine versus medium?

[Sonnet]

I'm not sure because I haven't used fine nibs yet. The Pelikan is a broad nib that writes like a medium but I doubt that provides a good comparison. In general, I tend to favor medium nibs. My sister picked a fine nib for her first fountain pen (Cross ATX) because she has very small handwriting.

[antoniosz]

sonnets are pens that evoke extreme sentiments some hate them some love them. if you want a pen for the pattern you might be better looking for a parker 75 cisele (there is an article that compares the two in Pennant 2000). in terms of balance the sonnet is much better. in terms of nib the sonnet nib may vary in performance depending on what year sonnet it is - you can check it from the band - thin=93-99, thick=99-03? medium 2003-today. the early nibs were softer but sensitive and prone to misalignment under a heavy hand. the current ones are less soft. The new ones were most probably redesign to fitted a heavier average hand. there maybe a issue with drying due to the large opening in the cap (imposed by eurolaw to prevent ... choking ) - usually a drop or two of wax in the bottom of the cap works fine. I prefer the fines but this is a matter of test. there are also interesting italics by nib exchange.

 

regards,

 

antonios

[HesNot]

I had an early Sonnet with a fine nib and it wrote reasonably well but did have the problem Antonios mentioned of drying out if not used really consistently due to the vent holes in the top of the cap. Once flowing it wrote quite well and is a well balanced and comfortable pen to use, neither too large nor too small in my opinion. The fine nib was comparable to the fine nib on my Expert 2000 if slightly drier. To this day I don't understand the cap issue, choking?, but there are some discussions floating around of the wax fix for this on the early models (I do not know if current models have the same issue), it is reasonably well known and documented. The nib on mine also was not a nail although obviously not really flexy, it had more spring than the Expert and the plated nib on my M200.

[Apollo]

I've got a current model Sonnet in black lacq/GT finish. I wouldn't say it's got a soft nib, but it's got some spring to it and ink flow is good on my sample. Mine's got a medium nib; however, the line it lays down is between a fine and medium when you compare it to others like Waterman, Pelikan, Conklin.

[southpaw]

I've got a Blue Laque modern Sonnet with a steel medium nib. It's a nice, wet, smooth medium. However, it dries out easily. I tried the wax solutions mentioned here, but as best I can tell, there is something in the design with the fit of the inner cap that keeps the air passage open. The wax didn't help the drying out much if any. Because of this, it sits on my shelf uninked.

[Stylo]

sonnets are pens that evoke extreme sentiments some hate them some love them. if you want a pen for the pattern you might be better looking for a parker 75 cisele

I already have a black laquer 75 (France 18K) and I am considering a Sonnet for two reasons. One, I like new pens , two, it's nice to buy a completely new type of pen as opposed to one I already have (albeit in a different finish).

 

Thanks a lot for the characteristics of the nibs based on year of production. It seems like a current one is what I need. I prefere mediums, but I'd rather not get one that writes like a heavy broad. I think I should go for one

[Stylo]

To this day I don't understand the cap issue, choking?

Neither do I , but I guess some people put the cap in their mouths and accidentaly swallow it? But my Euro made Pelikan M200 doesn't seem to have such huge vents and it doesn't dry even after weeks of no use. Are the extra large vents on the Sonnet voluntary, to avoid liability issues perhaps?

[mafiablues]

I have a RollerBall Sonnet Special edition TerraCota - very beautiful colors - and it it much more heavier than my Parker 75 FP. I don't know if it is beacause of it's a Sonnet or it's a special edition.

[Larry T]

I have a Sonnet Ciselé FP with a fine 18k nib. It is one of my favorite pens, an excellent writer and very comfortable in hand. Having said that, it can be a pain to get started if it hasn't been used for a couple of days. The Parker fine nibs put down a line nearly identical to my medium nibbed Pelikan M200. The Parker and Waterman nibs run pretty much the same. I have a bunch of Sonnets and I haven't gotten a bad one yet. They are quirky, but I like them a lot.

[Ian]

The thing about the cap is all about airflow. If a very young child or an infant were to swallow a pen cap, and it were to get lodged (as it could easily in such a small person), it must be designed to maintain a regulation quantity of airflow around it or through it. It can either be through the cap - in which case, the cap is never 'sealable', or it can be designed in such a way that the clip always causes airflow from one end of the cap to the other, even when trapped in a kids throat.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

It is mandatory to have the vents if the pen is to be used by someone under 13 years old in Europe. Some companies just make the vents anyway.

 

Dillon